All posts tagged ‘Movies’

Last January, we had a big milestone in our house — we took Vivienne to see her first movie in a movie theatre.

I was really sweating this whole escapade. A LOT. My husband and I are movie buffs, and both of us work in entertainment. So we wanted to make a big deal out of this experience, and give it a kind of weight that would make it truly special. Other moms in my little group of friends were starting to take their children to the movies (they were all around the same age — 2 and a half), and most of them were going to see The Muppets, since it was still in theatres at the time. I didn’t want to take Vivi to something we hadn’t seen yet — I wasn’t interested in having an unexpected scare or surprise, if you know what I’m talking about.

We got lucky — it just so happened that a local theatre was doing a Miyazaki celebration, and one of the films featured was My Neighbor Totoro. We are huge Miyazaki fans, and Vivi loves Totoro, so we thought that would be the perfect choice, a perfect indoctrination into the wonders of seeing something on the big screen. In fact, it was her first film that we watched at home, (followed by the documentary Babies, in case you are looking for a great toddler friendly movie), so we knew what to expect from it, and felt that it would be nice and familiar.

I couldn’t have been more pleased with how it all went. Vivi brought her stuffed Totoro to the theatre, and when we got there, we found that we weren’t the only ones sporting one. People wore their Totoro tee shirts, back packs, and brought their stuffed soot sprites. When the opening titles came up, everyone clapped and cheered — and the whole audience sang the opening theme, “Hey! Let’s Go!” It was just a wonderful experience.

I called my parents to ask them what my first movie in an honest to God theatre was… and THEY COULD NOT REMEMBER. I was kind of annoyed! And it made me think — am I annoyed because I’m a little nuts about stuff like this? (This is not an unfamiliar feeling when dealing with my parents.) Or is it because I’m a super geek about movies and television? As geek parents, there are certain things that we chew on and obsess over, perhaps more than other people do.

So I got to wondering about all the other geek parents out there — what were your firsts? Do you remember what movie you first saw in a movie theatre? What was the first movie that you took your first child to? What was your first date or first movie you saw with your spouse? (Mine is Apollo 13.)

And more to the point… I’d really love to hear if you obsessed about this first movie experience as much as I did!

Tracy Lee Stum sits in front of her 3D creation, inspired by the Oscar-winning film, Life of Pi. Image: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

The Oscar-winning epic Life of Pi was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 3D Blu-ray earlier this week. However, if you thought the special effects in the film were cool, you should really check them out in chalk art.

To commemorate the home entertainment release, chalk/street artist Tracy Lee Stum was commissioned to create an interactive 3D street drawing at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. It will be on display from now through Saturday, March 16, 2013.

Based on the novel of the same name, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi follows Patel (Suraj Sharma), a 16-year-old boy who survives a shipwreck with a variety of exotic animals — most notably a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. A key scene from this breathtaking tale of survival is what inspired Stum’s work.

“My 3D chalk art makes you feel like you’re part of the scene,” she says. “It makes you feel like you’re really there.”

Sadly, as Stum states, her artwork is not meant to last. If you can’t make it out to the display before this weekend, check out the time-lapse video and her completed work in the video below.

There’s a new poster out, which seems to be showing off a lot of new, colorful creatures. Some are big, some are furry, and some are downright slimy. Of course, the movie is really all about when Harry met Sally — or at least when Mike (Billy Crystal) met Sully (John Goodman).

The film will also include some wacky college hi-jinks, which end up getting those future best friends get kicked out of the school’s elite “Scare Program.” To make things right, the two will have to work together, as well as with a lot of other monsters. Steve Buscemi and Frank Oz return to voice some of those critters, with Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Ricky Gervais, Dave Foley and several others enrolling into Disney/Pixar’s summer program.

In case you need a little refresher course, take a peek at the trailer below. Otherwise, expect Monsters University to hit theaters on June 21, 2013.

Before Mel Gibson became tabloid fodder, he was the star of this killer (ahem) sci-fi franchise. It’s been 34 years since the first movie made its theatrical debut, making this box set long overdue. When The Mad Max Trilogy is released this summer, it will come packing an MSRP of $49.99.

A pre-Lethal Weapon Gibson stars as Max Rockatansky, a cop working his way through a chaotic, post-apocalyptic Outback. Motorcycle gangs, a hunt for gasoline, Tina Turner, and a ton of other mayhem are all involved at one point or another.

The Blu-ray box will include 1979′s Mad Max, 1982′s Mad Max Road Warrior, and 1985′s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The first two films are currently available on Blu-ray, with Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome being the only one that’s making its Blu-ray debut.

Right now, there’s no word on special features, so you’re probably wondering what the incentive would be to order the box. Warner Bros. says that this will be a “limited edition” set, with special tin packaging for collectors. However, I’d love to see them throw in something lengthy about George Miller. Mad Max was also the stepping stone for the director, who eventually went on to helm the Happy Feet franchise.

I’ve been to a lot of conventions, but I’ve never been one that is dedicated to horror. That will change next month when I attend Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, NC.

My husband and I do cons differently. I like cosplaying and attending panels, while he likes getting autographs and meeting the guests. One of the celebrities both of us would like to meet is Bruce Campbell, but he doesn’t do a lot of conventions. My favorite role of his is Ash from the Evil Dead movies and Army of Darkness. My husband was looking at his website a few months ago and saw that Bruce Campbell was going to be a guest at Mad Monster Party which is only a few hours from where we live. We immediately made plans to attend.

In addition to Bruce Campbell, Mad Monster Party has a very impressive guest list. The guests include Danny Glover, Lea Thompson, Tyler Mane and more. There are guests from horror movies but there are also professional wrestlers, like Sgt. Slaughter, and even music guests, including Kirk Hammett from Metallica.

For me, there will be a lot of panels and events to go to. I’m really looking forward to attending Scaroke, which is karaoke with a horror twist. There is going to be movie props to see including a full size DeLorean that has been fixed up just like the one from the Back to the Future movies. Also there will be an exhibit with the largest collection of Jaws props actually seen in the movies. Other events include a costume contest, film festival and a magic show put on by world-famous magician Zabrecky.

Mad Monster Party is happening March 22nd to the 24th, 2013. You can learn more about Mad Monster Party at their website.

The book is divided into chapters that focus on different aspects of the action movie genere. It starts off with classics like The Magnificent Seven and Dirty Harry and then moves on to buddy cop films, sequels and parodies.

There’s release information and details about who wrote, directed and starred in each movie, but the really fun part is reading Katrina’s take on why a given movie is worthy of glory. She gives you the fan perspective on just what makes an action movie go from meh to OMG.

It’s also loaded with full-color pictures that capture memorable moments from your favorite action films. There are cops and soldiers and cowboys and ninjas, all in their most action-filled glory.

Katrina also devotes full chapters to sci-fi, martial arts and video games so she really covers all the bases when it comes to action. You even get a little DVD treat in the back of the book with the martial arts spy spoof The Impossible Kid.

If you’re a fan of action films, then pick up a copy of Action Movie Freak ($22.99) for a trip down movie memory lane. It’ll have you filling your rental queue with your favorite action films and lining up to see A Good Day to Die Hard with the rest of the action movie freaks this weekend.

Disney is getting audiences excited for the next Muppet adventure, by teasing us with a few images from the upcoming movie. And yes, this is a huge tease, considering that The Muppets… Again! won’t be hitting theaters until March 21, 2014.

From the photo below, it looks like we can expect to see a lot of our old favorites, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, and even Walter. The pic above has one of the film’s very special guest stars, Ricky Gervais. Yaayy!

The film also stars Tina Fey and Modern Family‘s Ty Burrell. Jason Segel opted not to return or help out with the writing duties for this follow-up to the 2011 hit. Not to worry, though; Segel’s writing partner, Nicholas Stoller, is teaming up with director James Bobin for this one, which has the gang out on a tour, traveling through Berlin, Madrid and London.

Of course, where there are Muppets, there’s mayhem. Some of chaos will include Kermit’s deadly doppelganger, whose dastardly sidekick is played by Gervais.

Flight of the Conchords‘ fans will also be happy to hear that Oscar-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie (aka Lindir) will also return.

Expect many more teasers to come. We have a long time until The Muppets… Again! will hit theaters.

We’re still reeling over the latest Iron Man 3 trailer, which made its world premiere during Sunday night’s Super Bowl XLVII. Now comes word that Marvel’s popular character will have even more on-screen adventures — and they’re going to be animated.

The film will be available on Blu-ray and DVD. Image: Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Sony just announced plans to release Iron Man: Rise of Technovore on Blu-ray and DVD. Produced by Madhouse, the all-new anime film will be released on April 16, 2013. According to the studio, Iron Man will not be flying solo in this one. War Machine, Nick Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Punisher will all make appearances in the feature-length film.

The plot involves a terrorist attack, which sends Iron Man running from S.H.I.E.L.D. and in search of a super-villain. That would be Ezekiel Stane, who has invented the deadly new tech known as Technovore.

Both the Blu-ray and DVD will come packing two behind-the-scenes featurettes and the UltraViolet Digital Copy. “Tale of Technovore” will cover the animation and story, with “S.H.I.E.L.D.: Protecting the Marvel Universe” offering a history of the organization in the comics and on film. The Blu-ray will also have an exclusive interactive art gallery.

Iron Man: Rise of Technovore is available now for pre-order, with an MSRP of $30.99 for the Blu-ray and $26.99 for the DVD.

Maybe that’s why I liked the book, and happily, the movie too. Like R, I try my best, but making connections, even freakin’ obvious Shakespearean ones (how could I miss that in the book?!) can be really hard. Connecting to people? Even harder. I love one of the opening shots of the film where R is reminiscing about what the world was like before he was a zombie, picturing the airport filled with people “spending time together.” But all the people he’s imagining are looking at their cell phones.

In my previous post, I said I wasn’t going to read the book until after the movie, since the trailer caught my eye. But I’ve never been known as a patient person. A week was too long for the story, so I bought a copy and read it. Very sweet, with a straightforward storyline; perfect for a movie. Not too many side-plots, though I knew the relationship between Perry and R was not going to make it on the big screen.

I wondered how the voice of R would come through. There was some voice over, not too much, but I found those parts my favorite. Maybe because I could relate. It’s one thing to read R’s voice in the novel, but seeing that blank stare on the screen, with an intelligent and very frustrated voice behind it, was perfect. How often do I have a similar look and frustration level with my inability to say what I mean? I won’t answer that question.

I did miss R’s voice, however. The gradual waking up of this dead man was the point of the novel, the love story was the point of the movie. Overall, the movie was entertaining, although certainly no prize winner. The makeup bothered me. It was inconsistent and obvious. The zombies did not look dead enough. If the producers were worried about making Nicholas Carodoc Houl look bad, they shouldn’t have.

On the way out my friend said awkwardly, “Well, that actor certainly has grown up since About A Boy. I mean, he looked … he was….”

“He’s hot. Yes. You can say that. We may be the age of his mother, but you can call him ‘hot’.”

The bonies were creepy, but not the most realistic special effects. The human settlement was way too settled that soon after an apocalypse (not that I know from experience, but…) I liked the casting of M, but I was disappointed that Nora was not ethnic with curly hair. (I’m always looking for diversity in main characters.) The father (played by John Malkovich) was lame in the movie, and we had a Hollywood ending on that storyline.

Speaking of lame however, I had one wish going into the theater. “Please don’t make Julie lame. Please don’t make Julie lame.” The slow motion kick-ass with a gun scene where R first falls in love is funny, sweet, and she’s not lame! Yay!

The movie makers really missed it on one scene, though. While reading the book, there is a part where R takes a shower, his first since becoming a zombie, and the years of dirt, grime, dried blood, and everything else you can imagine is cleaned revealing the scars and bullet wounds that can never be scrubbed away. I thought, “that will be the most beautiful scene in the movie.” Yeah, no. They skipped right to clean skin with scars and bullet wounds. It was enough to make my friend make sounds of sympathy, but there are few times when a movie can outshine a book, and this very visual metaphor was a missed opportunity.

Warm Bodies was a romantic comedy unlike any other I’ve seen. For those who have read the book, Hoult embodied the lovable monster with empathy and humor. For those who didn’t, you can be introduced to a sweet story of what it means to be human. My friend and I both enjoyed it. So, if you’re in the mood for some zombie apocalyptic love, check it out.

While munching on a chocolate bar watching the fiftieth preview before The Hobbit, one caught my fantasy-impatient eye. Warm Bodies.

I don’t like zombies. Zombies are popular, but I don’t jump into every geeky genre just because it’s the hottest thing to continually remind my friends I’m weird. I like fantasy, with magic, horses, swords and the complete rewriting of what medieval times were like.

Vampires came to my attention in high school. Their popularity waxes and wanes, and I was only on the bandwagon as a teen with Anne Rice’s novels. But besides the first couple, I thought the rest were melodramatic. I thought Buffy: The Vampire Slayer looked dumb, and I’m not into gore. So away with that genre!

As an adult with two kids and needing something new, I picked up Harry Dresden and my fantasy horizons broadened. Maybe that was a gateway book because soon after I found the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I liked the cover and almost put it back on the library shelf when I read it was about vampires. Then challenged the book to entertain me. It won.

I accepted that maybe vampires weren’t all bad; turns out Buffy wasn’t dumb. But zombies? No, no, no. They are not romantic with their skin falling off. Eating brains is way more gory than sucking blood. And saying it’s a disease just makes me worried about the world. Books are supposed to help me escape, thankyou.

Having this conversation with a friend last year he promptly gave me World War Z.

“But I said I don’t like zombies,” I reminded him.

“Just give it a try.”

Oooh, good book! I made it halfway just because I trusted my friend’s taste. The other half I devoured of my own accord. There’s a movie coming out with the title, but seeing the trailer makes me realize how much liberty movie makers can take. It might be good, but it won’t be anything like the book- a collection of short stories.

But just because World War Z was good, didn’t mean I was into zombies. Then the trailer for Warm Bodies came up. I was intrigued. It was about love. My daughter leaned over to me, “Mommy, I think you will like that movie.”

I don’t know. I’ve decided not to read the bookuntil after I see the movie, just in case it’s completely different. The movie is what grabbed my attention. Regardless if I like it or not, I’ll read the book too. Not that this means I like zombies! No. But…I’ll see.

As a Star Wars fan, I’ll go see the movies in the theater anytime they are available. When I was in college, Episodes 4 through 6 were re-released and I saw them all multiple times. I even went to see The Phantom Menace even though it is my least favorite Star Wars movie. I was pretty excited to hear that all six movies were being re-released in 3D.

So I’m a little disappointed that Lucasfilm is postponing the rest of the 3D prequel re-releases indefinitely.

Deadline Hollywood broke the story that Lucasfilm was shelving the 3D prequels in favor of focusing on the new movie that will be directed by J.J. Abrams. Starwars.com issued a press release staying the 3D versions of Episodes 2 and 3 were just postponed and not canceled.

I hope that they release have all of the movies in 3D someday. There is nothing better than watching the original trilogy on the big screen. You can read more about this story at Deadline Hollywood and Starwars.com.

Guess who’s making his apperance this season? \ Image: Courtesy of Marvel

The Ultimate Spider-Man is one of our family’s favorite shows and, thankfully, the new season is right around the corner. This season promises to be packed full of new adventures and villains, and special appearances by members of the Avengers.

Also beginning this Monday is the “Marvel Comics Close-Up” initiative. a new program to champion children’s literacy through Marvel comic book storytelling.

I was given an exclusive interview with Cort Lane, Supervising Producer of the Ultimate Spider-Man series, to get his insight into this season as well as get his thoughts on children’s literacy and the new program, which is backed by Disney XD, Marvel Entertainment and First Book.

GeekMom: To start, lets talk about Peter Parker. He was trained in the first season, but where does his character start emotionally at the beginning of the new season and does that change throughout?

Cort Lane: I think there is an emotional arc that is even greater and more challenging for him in the second season. He’s training to be a better hero in the first season. In the second season, he’s learned a lot, but now he is taking on new responsibilities. Nick Fury challenged him to take on a lot of responsibility and become a better hero in season one, and in season two Peter takes on new responsibility on his own.

He takes on responsibility for his team mates and he’s also taking on the responsibility to be their leader, it’s not an easy fit for him.

Being a leader doesn’t come naturally because he’s a loner. He’s also a teenager, so he makes mistakes. That’s a big emotional burden on him.

He’s also taking responsibility to help two friends that are very connected to Spider-Man. He wants to help Harry and save Norman Osborn from being the Green Goblin and he works towards that in the new season. His buddy and mentor from S.H.I.E.L.D, Curt Connors, becomes the Lizard in the first episode of the season and Peter has this intense need to do what he can to not only help stop the Lizard but cure him and get Curt Connors back to the friend that he needs.

We temper that with the usual Spidey quips and gags to make it light and humorous for kids, but he has some big challenges.

GM: After the destruction of the helicarrier in the last season, I’m guessing the rest of the team might feel a little displaced. Will we get to see them adjusting to living with Peter and some of the challenges they face living dual identities with Aunt May?

CL: Yea and we get to learn the origins of each of his team mates, in special stories that run throughout the season. This is still the Spider-Man show, so it’s still focused on him, but he is going to learn a lot about his team mates and through that we get to see how they got their powers, where their families are and it links to all aspects of the Marvel universe.

There are some surprising links between Nova and White Tiger to other Marvel Universe characters.

I can’t remember a better year to be a geek and a movie lover than 2012. The Avengers crammed a pile of our favorite superheroes together onto one screen, and the summer iced that cake with The Dark Knight Rises. Love or hate the high frame rate, we got The Hobbit. Musical lovers got Les Mis while the friends they dragged along got Wolverine, Catwoman, and General Maximus (who next year turns into Jor-El) singing with a side dish of Borat and Bellatrix Lestrange. Talk about a strange dinner party. There were Nazis on the moon, time-traveling blunderbusses, Mandingoes, and for the love of John Carter, a vampire throwing a horse at Abraham Lincoln.

That’s a tough act to follow.

I’ve seen more movies this year–and in theaters!–than maybe any other year of my life, certainly any other year since I had children. I’ve been steeling myself for a while to accept that it was a special year and that 2013 just won’t be the same. It couldn’t be. Could it? There’s only one way to find out. Let’s look at what’s coming. It’s time for a movie year throwdown.

2012 was a pretty good year, even if we’d had nothing but Looper, The Hunger Games, and Cloud Atlas. But 2013 is ready for the sci-fi smackdown with our next entry in the Star Trek franchise, the next Hunger Games, Pacific Rim, Ender’s Game, and the long-awaited World War Z. Edge: 2013

Fantasy

The Hobbit, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Jack the Giant Slayer, Oz: The Great and Powerful, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

You either loved or hated The Hobbit, and despite having two of the most amazing costume designers ever to put their work in front of a camera, neither of 2012′s Snow White stories was much to rave about. But they looked promising a year ago, and 2013 could tank just as hard. Tentative edge: 2013

True story/history-based (however loosely)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, Argo

300: Rise of an Empire

Is 2013 the year that forgot history, or have I just not found those films yet? And I had to take one that really should be in the next category just to give one to 2013! Clear edge: 2012

There were the good times. The times of Brave and Wreck-It Ralph. And then there were the lesser times. There was Frankenweenie, which was like a very, very, very long version of its trailer. I’m not dying of anticipation from much of the upcoming list, but I’ll give it tentative edge: 2013 for optimism and a big-screen Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

Documentary

Indie Game: The Movie, We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, Jiro Dreams of Sushi

We Are Legion was both a moving story for those who already knew it and a solid introduction for those who didn’t, and I’ve heard great things about Jiro. But it’s hard to compete with the words “John de Lancie goes to BronyCon.” Edge: 2013

Toy-based

Battleship

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Game-peg-shaped torpedoes or round two of something that wasn’t any good the first time? Draw. And a request to stop making movies based on toys, unless it’s Jenga.

I’m tenuously interested in The Evil Dead remake, but is the new movie motto, “If you can’t make something good, make something old 3D”? Edge: 2012 for Johnny Depp in excessive makeup over 100-foot-high Anakin nostrils. (Possible reconsideration after Top Gun volleyball scene in 3D.)

Other interesting bits not covered above but worthy of note

Skyfall, The Cabin in the Woods, Django Unchained, Safety Not Guaranteed

John Dies at the End, Noobz, Much Ado About Nothing, RED 2, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Horror Whedon or Shakespeare Whedon? Bond or RED? Edge: 2012, due to a lack of Tarantino in 2013.

And the winner is…

Giving half points for a “tentative edge” and none for the draw, it’s 2012 with 3 points and 2013 with 4 points. Anticipated winner: 2013

I’m sorry, 2012. You were great, but it looks like you just might get taken down by 2013. Your obituary will tell how you were the Year of the Whedon, giving us both The Cabin in the Woods, dripping with Whedonosity in a commentary on classic horror tropes, as well as The Avengers, the third highest-grossing film ever. (In 2013, we’ll get his take on Much Ado About Nothing, with a lineup of the Whedon favorites, from Nathan Fillion and Amy Acker to Alexis Denisof and Tom Lenk.) You were the year of too-fast-to-count video-game cameos. Of the 50th anniversary of Bond. Of what may be Quentin Tarantino’s most controversial work–and that’s saying something when it’s a guy whose last film was about Nazis and had a title with two intentional misspellings that he preferred not to explain.

2013, you’re looking pretty. Captain-Chris-Pine-Kirk kind of pretty. And Pacific Rim kind of stunning. (Don’t let me down, Pacific Rim.) We’re going to be dropping in on Oz and going on a quest for the Golden Fleece with a bunch of half-bloods. You want superheroes? Like IronManWolverineSupermanThor? We won’t be able to recover from that many abs on display until Arrow gets cancelled. We’ll try not to get the vapors, because there are Jacks to keep straight. Tom Cruise will be playing a guy named Jack, but not Jack Reacher (that was 2012), and not Jack Ryan, which is 2013, but a whole other movie, which also has Chris Pine. The Girl on Fire will be on her Victory Tour, and it looks like the whole of Hollywood is coming along. (Did I mention Q goes to BronyCon?)

Once that’s through, I’m not holding my breath for two years of greatness to stretch into a three-year run of awesome, but we can hope. May the odds be ever in our favor.

I lived a lonely geeky existence once upon a time. When I heard Lord of the Rings was coming to the theaters, I wanted to go, but had no one to go with. A friend of my sister-in-law said he would go with me, but ONLY if I read all three Lord of the Rings books ahead of time. I love fantasy books. I had been meaning to read them anyway. I enjoyed The Hobbit as a kid, even did a report on it in high school. I was looking forward to it. No problem.

Ugh. It took me an entire summer, and half a dozen books as “breaks” to get through the trilogy. Tolkien’s epic prose was foreign to my modern fantasy reader’s ears. How long before I realized Sauramon and Sauron were different characters? (That explained a lot…) And speaking of names, holy crap! So many look almost exactly alike. Where was the storyteller’s voice from The Hobbit? I felt like I was slogging through a textbook of mythology.

I did get through it; the final book grabbed my attention as characters and plot points came together. Seeing the movie, fresh from the books made me have quite a number of opinions. But the biggest one was this: THANK YOU PETER JACKSON! I was so much more entertained watching the movies than reading the books. And stories are foremost about entertainment.

Whoa, there! Back up a minute before you pounce on me. Before anyone says anything about stories being about learning and transmitting cultural ideas, think back on most of your classroom experience. If the teacher didn’t entertain you in some way, you didn’t learn anything. All storytellers, no matter what the form, MUST entertain or every bit of learning is for naught. As a storyteller myself I am desperate to share the worlds in my head, but if I can’t entertain while I’m doing it, no one will listen. Tolkien failed as an entertainer for me, regardless of the fact that his world and characters were so rich. Jackson had me enthralled, my imagination sparked after the house lights came on, and I even obsessed about the character of Frodo (or maybe it was just Elijah Wood…)

The key there is what format engaged me. Fairy tales, books and comics have all been redone as movies over the years with varying success for different people. Here are two more movies that I found better than the book:

In the run up to December 1st, I have had many conversations this week about what to do for advent. Be it on or off line it seems to be the subject on everyone’s mind right now.

Jenny over at the blog My Perfectly Imperfect Every Day Life is facing her first year without kids in the house, and so came up with a new advent tradition to enjoy with her husband. She took a 25 slot cubby, and added a gift for each day. Each box contains a prompt for something to do together that day.

I thought this was an inspiring idea, not just for the new empty nesters, but to parents struggling to maintain a sense of self, to keep a relationship going that didn’t involve the words mom or dad. So here is my 24 day advent for my geek husband and myself. I hope you join in with us.

Start with a bang – wear the kids out, put them to bed early and get as far into The Lord of the Rings- extended edition – as you can.

Pull out an old favorite game, one from the pre-kid years. For us this will be a nice game of Othelloor Stratego.

Wake up before the kids and make pancakes together, pancakes in the shape of the Millennium Falcon.

Find an app you like and play together, we enjoy Cradle of Rome 2. It’s a one player game and so having two people on at once is cheating, but fun! It has to be on a phone or a tablet, playing together on that kind of device means that you have to be close, no child width between you.

Find a new game, one that neither of you have played before, play it. We have had a couple of games on the shelf for some time and that we have yet to crack open.

Find your quiet spot, pick a book of the shelf each and sit and read. Set the timer, you have to sit for at least an hour with no laundry going on in the background!

Pick your Starbucks drink of choice, strap the kids into strollers, hand them a book and take a walk around the mall. By walk I mean hold chariot races, winner gets to pick which game to test out in Best Buy!

In an attempt to recover from invading Mordor at 2am, let the kids hop into bed with you and watch old cheesy Christmas cartoons. Okay this doesn’t get you away from being parents but it sure is relaxing!

Recreate a moment from your dating life. Our plan? Put the Grinchsoundtrack on and hug. The moment we realised how we felt about each other as naive youngsters was during a hello hug that lasted the length of this soundtrack.

There is enough time left for Prime shipping on Amazon, make a hot cocoa and browse online together. Find something you can both enjoy and order it. It will be here in time for Christmas and will give you something to do, that isn’t cleaning or cooking, while the kids sleep on Christmas day.

Time for the Christmas episode marathon. Begin with “Jolly Old St Dick,” make sure to hit “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”, end with the piece de resistance of Christmas episodes, “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis.”

Find a sitter, bundle up and take a chilly walk through one of your favorite spots. We own two acres of Maine woods so we may just do that, but downtown Portland is a wonderful place to stroll with a loved one. Walk for the sake of walking and holding hands with mittens on.

While sorting through toys to be put away before the Christmas packages arrive from Santa, play with them, with no kids around! You can make the Little People Batman and Wonder Woman kiss if you like.

The calm before the storm, expect no time to yourself. Sneak in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock before passing out after the last minute wrapping session.

Christmas day hasn’t belonged to us since 2009, so I turn that over completely to the geeklings and their new toys!

Director Barry Levinson is really well known for developing heartfelt, character-driven films, such as Rain Man, Diner, The Natural and Avalon. So why exactly would he want to do a horror movie?

According to Levinson, the idea for The Bay came out of a 2010 request to develop a documentary on Maryland’s dying Chesapeake Bay. However, the director thought that PBS’ Frontline had already done a fine job covering the topic, so he opted for a fictional film that blends some of the facts with the found-footage horror genre. That sort of makes sense, since The Bay has Levinson teamed up with the producers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious.

The Bay is about one July 4 celebration that went horribly wrong — and ended up costing the sleepy, seaside town of Claridge, Maryland, approximately 700 of its residents. Now, three years later, some of the footage from that day seems to be surfacing.

There are no A-listers or big budgets here. In fact, most of The Bay looks like it was shot with an iPhone. Maybe that’s because some of it was, in addition to a load of other consumer-style cameras. That certainly ups the creepy factor, as you can see from the trailer below.

And if you dare, check out The Bay, which is now in select theaters and available via on-demand and iTunes.

Let’s just kick this off by saying: Diana Prince and Leia Organa aside, I am not too keen on the prospect of bringing the whole princess thing into my house. But I am down with the Disney Fairies. Why? Because they’re all friends, they have specific jobs that they’re good at, and they have to work together to make the seasons, or the world tumbles into chaos. To me, they’re similar to the X-Men, in that each one of them has a very specific power, or “talent,” that they use in very particular ways. Plus, Tinker Bell is spunky, curious, makes mistakes, and learns from them.

Vivi is three now, and so we were new to the first three Tinker Bell movies. Which is like being new to reading Game of Thrones. You just plow through them, and don’t have the agonizing wait of several years in between installments. Ah! The benefits of being a late adopter! But then you catch up, and suddenly you’re forced into an agonizing wait for the next one to come out.

The DVD came out this week. October 23rd, if you’re looking at my white board, or any of my other calendars that I marked, YES MARKED. But as denizens of Los Angeles, we are lucky to have the El Capitan – the Disney movie theater, which does spectacular events surrounding Disney films, and makes going to the movies an incredible experience. To wit: They ran Secret of the Wingsfor two weeks in early September, and before each showing of the film, Tinker Bell and Periwinkle (the new fairy) came out on stage and danced a little number – and then they MADE IT SNOW IN THE THEATRE. (Pro Tip: Cover your popcorn.)

Tony Stark is due back in theaters in May, 2013 but fans of the popular Iron Man series can take a sneak peek at the action in a just-released trailer. Says Disney:

Marvel’s Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Did you miss our GeekMom panel at New York Comic Con? Never fear! In our talk about how to raise young padawans, we threw out a bunch of different recommendations for comics, games, apps, movies, and costumes. Here’s a snapshot of what we talked about.

Raising kids is a tough job, but raising geek kids can be even more of a challenge. How do you know when they’re ready to see Anakin become Vader? Should you name your son Peter if your last name is Parker? And what if those summer robot camps teach them to build Skynet?! Join the writers from Wired’s GeekMom Blog as they share the ups, downs and sideways of raising good little Padawans.

Amy also points out that some of your kids' favorite games may be good for them. In trying to beat the Survival Endless goal in Plants vs. Zombies, Amy's daughter used the scientific method to test her zombie-defeating hypotheses.

Get kids involved in making their own costumes, like this duct-tape-and-newspaper steampunk outfit. Easy is awesome: glow sticks + umbrella = jellyfish. And, performance goes a long way. When Rebecca's daughter and a friend dresses as statues, people would open their door to creepy, immobile trick-or-treaters.

And, of course, we have to mention the new GeekMom book, written by our GeekMom editors and packed with ideas for raising a little Padawan.

Raising kids is a tough job, but raising geek kids can be even more of a challenge. How do you know when they’re ready to see Anakin become Vader? Should you name your son Peter if your last name is Parker? And what if those summer robot camps teach them to build Skynet?! Join the writers from Wired’s GeekMom Blog as they share the ups, downs and sideways of raising good little Padawans.

It can be hard finding kid-appropriate content in comics, but Corrina recommends these series for great superhero characters.

Nicole recommends these games for kids. Show your interest in games and they'll develop an interest, too.

When playing RPGs with kids, let them play at their own pace. If they want to spend all afternoon developing a character, let them, and play more the next time.

In a sea of apps that label themselves "educational", Amy recommends some apps that have real value for kids' play time.

Amy also points out that some of your kids' favorite games may be good for them. In trying to beat the Survival Endless goal in Plants vs. Zombies, Amy's daughter used the scientific method to test her zombie-defeating hypotheses.

Just the sight of Miyazaki film stills made some of our audience members burst into applause. Kristen recommends My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service as your geeklet's first movies.

Kristen also had a great experience introducing her daughter to the Signing Times series. Now her 3-year-old has American Sign Language as her second language.

It's great if you have a loving family member to sew amazing costumes for you, but Rebecca has easy things you can do to make memorable Halloween costumes.

Get kids involved in making their own costumes, like this duct-tape-and-newspaper steampunk outfit. Easy is awesome: glow sticks + umbrella = jellyfish. And, performance goes a long way. When Rebecca's daughter and a friend dresses as statues, people would open their door to creepy, immobile trick-or-treaters.

Let kids explore their own super identities. Rebecca's son has been a cop, Bionicle, and a hero of his own design, Flame Fighter.

If you want your kids to get out there and make fools of themselves, make sure you get into the act, too. Here's Rebecca as Malibu Matrix Barbie.

Don't miss out on Rebecca's super easy costumes in her A Very Munchkin Halloween.

http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/10/munchkin-halloween/

And, of course, we have to mention the new GeekMom book, written by our GeekMom editors and packed with ideas for raising a little Padawan.

One of my absolute favorite movies from the ’90s is Clueless. Amy Heckerling’s 1995 comedy had quotable lines, enviable fashions and plenty of Paul Rudd. Star Alicia Silverstone hasn’t been in a ton of movies lately, opting instead to spread the vegan word and take time to raise her son.

Now, Anchor Bay is resurrecting the team of Heckerling and Silverstone for the vampire-themed comedy, Vamps. As you can see by the trailer below, it totally has that Clueless vibe.

The film focuses on Goody (Silverstone) and Stacy (Krysten Ritter), two hot party girls that just happen to be vampires. As the trailer suggests, though, “Staying young is getting old.” So both start looking for love, which Stacy finds with a Van Helsing. As if!

The insanely large cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Richard Lewis, Justin Kirk, Wallace Shawn, Malcolm McDowell and Kristen Johnston. Also, as BUST points out, you have to appreciate that Heckerling is one of the few working female directors in Hollywood.

Look for Vamps in limited theatrical release on November 2, with a Blu-ray and DVD following shortly after on November 13.